Changeling Winds: Episode Two (The Bachelor Battles Book 2) (22 page)

The leper leader turned back to Angelica. “Our captor cannot die. Many have tried.”

“He can,” Angelica insisted. No one argued, but their doubt was clear.

In the silence, the smell of garlic hit me and I realized how hungry I was. I hesitantly dipped the wide spoon into the yellow soup and took a small bite. It was a creamy corn flavor with a potato-like crunch, and I dug into it, letting the heat warm me.

The strong-smelling wine cups I shunned for the water flask Angelica placed between us. I reached for the canteen, and found her hand still there. For a single second, I let it stay…

Angelica tensed in surprised heat, and I jerked back. She didn’t look at me.

After she took a long drink, she wiped the spout and held it out to me with her fingers set in such a way that I had no choice but to touch her again.

Desire, sharp and unexpected, slid into my stomach as I took it. I could feel her wanting me… wishing things were different.

Distracting us both, Angelica asked Cain a question I hadn’t thought of yet, but immediately wanted an answer for.

“Who, or what, was he before the war?”

I’d gotten a fast glimpse into the room as she stepped out, and those glowing yellow orbs, the size of those hands!
would
visit me while I slept, I was sure.

The leader of the lepers lit a new torch. “An experiment we found in area 51. One with more intelligence than any living thing should have. When we fled, it tracked us down, held us in these ugly lands to keep us from spreading our disease to those who survived the Change’s unforgiving rampage.”

“He saved the future.”

“We believe so, yes.”

“And yet, you hate him.”

“How could we not? He has kept us prisoner here for hundreds of years, never letting us live in the light. There can be only hatred for one such as that.”

I was confused, but I thought Angelica had it figured out as she set down an empty bowl. Wow. Had she even tasted it?

I started to sit my own bowl down, and Angelica waved a hand without looking over
..

“Finish it.”

I thought about her list as I obeyed.

“You’ve grown accustomed to living by his rules, because it’s easier than thinking for yourselves. You’ve stayed as much as he has held you, because you fear the outside world, as well as long for it.”

Cain bowed his head in shame and didn’t argue.

The lepers seemed like any group of people trying to survive. I saw smiles and pats on the back, and even a careful hug between what I was sure was a mother and son. It sent me to my own childhood, and I found my sympathy for these people growing. I understood why they were avoided, but I suddenly wanted to change it, to help them.

I glanced over at my owner, thinking that was probably her Pruett loyalties starting to rub off on me.

Angelica shrugged. “That can be over now - some of it.”

“What if the fight doesn’t come here?” one of the lepers called from behind their leader. Everyone looked to Angelica first.

“Make sure it does.” Angelica instructed. “You know how to draw their fire, don’t you?”

“Of course, but we can’t. We have a deal.”

“Deals are made to be broken…”

“We will not.”

“Desperate for freedom, but won’t fight for it. What cowards!”

I tossed the pendant toward the leader’s feet, drawing attention before I considered the consequences. “Maybe your people deserve to be enslaved. Even we bachelors have to be drugged!”

I was angry. How dare these people expect Angelica and the rebels to free them while they did nothing
…

I grunted, feeling her stare.
Damn
.

My head dropped. “I’m sorry for my rudeness.”

I didn’t sound it though, and I waited to see how much trouble I was in.

“You let him speak freely?”

“Yes.”

Angelica’s tone said to be careful about that line of questioning, and I was once again grateful to be under her protection.

“He speaks the truth, but it changes nothing. We will not draw the guards here to involve ourselves in your war - not unless we are free to live in the world as we see fit.”

“That is your choice to make.” Angelica stood up, hand sliding to her belt of weapons. “But mark these words, my selfish friends. When that Network Dome falls, there’s going to be a mad rush to the vaccines. With those, you wouldn’t be a danger anymore, and he wouldn’t need to hold you here.”

Angelica moved toward the stairs. “Perhaps you should reconsider. Those fighting with us will be in that first mad dash, and guaranteed a shot at being normal again. I think that’s worth breaking your Network deal, don’t you?”

Silence as well followed her, and then the leader’s thoughtful voice.

“That is a life we’ve never dreamed of… aren’t prepared for.”

Angelica headed up the dank stairs that groaned under her firm steps. “The Changeling Winds have arrived, and I’m sure you already know it’s best to bend, rather than to try standing against them. They tend to destroy anything that doesn’t surrender to their will.”

Angelica led our group away from the main doors as we reached the top, and I realized the lepers weren’t escorting us out. She must know her way around.

Angelica’s path took us by more relics of the old world - part of a thick rod and rail that could have once belonged on an arch, the wide metal bottom of a boat - but I didn’t stare as I had when we’d first come in. Already, the constant reminders of the past, the death scenes enshrined here, had lost their allure.

A bit bothered by that thought, I stayed close to Angelica and was rewarded by the sight of our bikes lined up neatly by another set of large stone doors. We’d left them just inside the main entrance when we arrived, and I wondered how the lepers had moved them. I was sure we would have heard the engines if they’d driven.

Angelica motioned me toward her bike and I settled onto the rear, hearing the winds. I didn’t think for a minute that I was ready to drive through a storm. She handed me a pair of goggles and then donned her own, before bringing out the rope that I was beginning to hate. I did like how close she had to get to bind us together, however, and I didn’t protest.

She shook out a poncho-like tarp, and brought it down neatly over my head. While she secured the edges to my legs and the bike, I got comfortable, seeing I could duck beneath the edge of it if I needed to.

Angelica surprised me with the black mask that was jerked over my head so fast I only had time for a quick flinch. Very soft and thick, it had small holes covered by a patch of cloth that was stuck on in such a way that it could be uncovered for sight and eating. Ingenious!

Angelica ducked under the tarp, sliding in behind me, and I scooted forward, admitting to myself that it was where I liked to ride. All warm and well cared for, I held still as she adjusted, feeling those perky breasts push against my back.

She leaned forward to secure us the rest of the way and I couldn’t stop my hand from dropping to her leg, holding her against me.

Angelica froze,
breath
catching as tension flared.

I felt my fingers start to slide back, moving along that lean thigh… I drew my hand back, face flaming.

When she gently tapped my back instead of delivering a deserved punishment, I gunned the engine to life and smiled under my mask. I could get used to this kind of life.

I hadn’t felt like a rebel during the ride in, but as I rolled us out into that dust storm, I realized that had changed. I knew where an outlawed people were living at, had listened to a conversation of rebellion, and I’d shown my hidden nature in standing up for what I wanted. Satisfied with my progress on this stop, I gunned it faster and enjoyed Angelica’s approval.

Angelica

As the purple dusk began to fall into pitch black, Jason fell asleep in my arms. We’d been riding for the last 6 hours, leaving the storm behind with our Changeling sight to drive by. Some of the side effects of our torment were convenient.

Jason’s scent washed over me, fire and sugar mixing in a wave of temptation. I wanted him way too much.

He didn’t stir as the Mopar slowed. He was exhausted - mostly from craning his head so much to stare at the large bugs, as we’d flown through the patches of wounded stragglers.

His hands gently slipped from the controls as he melted back against me. Cold fingers still near his so that I could rest against his
body,
I guided the Mopar to a gentle stop and adjusted his light weight.

The Runners slowed and came back to put us into a circle of protection as I shortened the rope to secure him more fully. I wasn’t taking the chance of him sliding off like Daniel had done with Candice.

Our escort waited patiently and I could feel my sister’s intent gaze through her goggles. Her group of Runners were dressed the same to keep the Network from knowing exactly who was leading us, and they rotated the Point position regularly to maintain that confusion. As an understudy to Candice, the decision-maker for our family, these females would bow to my wishes if I needed them to. With Rankin on our trail, I hoped they would already know what to do, but I was prepared to take over. These might be some of the more wild relatives - distant cousins and years-long companions of my sister - but at heart, they were Pruetts and they understood strength came in many sizes.

“Are we there?”

I smiled tolerantly, shifting a second poncho over our heads. I tied the ends to my belt. It would get coldest before dawn, when we hit the edges of the Borderlands. “No. Go back to sleep.”

“I wanted to drive you in…” Jason yawned, stretching against me.

I felt my smile grow as the heat lashed out, returning feeling to my toes.
Nice
. “You still can.”

He smiled happily, snuggling against my heat like a sated lover, and I forced the flames down. I was doing a good thing for him, giving my …
ward
these liberties. Enjoying his warmth along the way was a benefit I was more than entitled to.

I’d heard the stories of using a mate for warmth, emotion control, and even more far-fetched things like mind-reading, but the sharing body heat was a common practice when the snows came in September. Would Jason be in my life for the season switch this year?

It was a painful thought and I curled around him, felt his rumble of contentment. Did he have any idea how enticing that was to me? I plugged the hole in my heart as best I could and got us rolling again.

On the far right, I could feel my sister evaluating the situation. I was closest to my cousin Candice, but I adored my sister, though in the past, Sam’s wild ways had intimidated me. After winning the Bachelor Battles, I didn’t think that was a problem anymore.

I sensed she had a number of questions waiting, but I didn’t plan to tell her or anyone else the truth until we got there and I set Jason free. If I spoke before then, they would all try to talk me out of it, and I was already was desperately afraid I would listen.

Chapter Thirteen

Jason

Snnooorr
…

The noise was an irritation and I fought to ignore it. I was so tired…

Snort!

I jerked awake to find myself in a bedroll, with Angelica. I wasn’t sure where we were and I huddled in the darkness while I adjusted. If not for the sounds and smell of her, I might have panicked.

My hand went to the rope around my waist and slowly followed it to her belt. Satisfied that we were still connected by it, I concentrated on figuring out where we were. I knew she’d planned to drive straight through, so that must mean we’d made it to the Borderlands.

I didn’t hear anything other than sleeping noises, and there was a rough draft coming along the uncomfortable wall I was pressed against. It was sharp enough to bite and I slowly turned onto my side to be closer to Angelica’s warmth.

Now that I’d moved, I could see a pinprick of light and it let my sight finish adjusting. It revealed all but two of our escorts curled between us and the small prick of light that was coming through the cracks of the collapsed shelter.

I couldn’t wait to be outside as the feeling of smothering came, but I also wanted to observe it from there. Except in photos, I hadn’t seen any relics of the old world until leaving with Angelica.

The wind sharpened, flowing directly down my back this time and inside the wrinkled cloak. I carefully edged closer, pressing my cold hand between us. Changelings ran very hot and it took only a minute for my fingers to warm.

In sleep, Angelica appeared gentle. I wondered if the rebel males would react to her the way I did. Would they be scared and abused, but still hope for protection? Did they want true freedom? I did, but only to be able to pick my own future, not to take down the Network. Why were those males so different? Why did they care so much when I, who’d been tortured almost nightly by Rankin when she wasn’t on a run, didn’t feel enough hate to rebel against them?

As I pondered my strange mind, the area slowly lightened into dimness that allowed me to make out more features. I shivered as the wind pushed around us again…

“Come closer.”

I jumped.

“Warm yourself… against me.”

I did it gratefully, and felt her approval when I slid fully against her hip. She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and tugged me gently into her embrace.

As the heat swarmed over me, I moaned lowly.
“That’s nice!”

Angelica tensed, sending out an intense wave of need, but her tone was light. “Yes.”

Her head turned toward mine, searching me silently until I felt naked under her regard. What was she thinking? Did she know how sexy she was to me, or how shocking it was that that I felt these things for her at all?

Angelica slowly closed her lids, as if she couldn’t stand to keep them open but hated to let me out of her sight. “We won’t leave until almost nightfall.”

I shifted my arm up next to my head, not sure if I could sleep anymore, but content to watch the day lighten our surroundings and give me more clues to where we had taken shelter.

It didn’t take long for Angelica’s breathing to even out and tell me she was back asleep. We were basically on the run from two predators and I still felt safe. It was a wonderful feeling.

With her heat now baking into me, the temperature of my body came up and I tried not to fidget against her and disturb her rest. As I became warmer, I started to drowse.

When I jerked back awake and felt her breath catch, I finally laid my head down on her shoulder.

She curled her arm around me, increasing that feeling of safety, and I dozed off in her arms.

                                                         
Angelica
     

I’d never slept with a male.

Sharing a bed on the train didn’t count, though the erotic feelings he’d given me from his unknowing sleep-movements were ones I’d never forget. Those few moments of temptation were nothing compared to the feeling of holding him while he was melted against me in contentment. It brought the memory of what I’d seen when we first touched… the sated aftermath of lovers. I blew out a soft sigh.

“You okay?”

My sister had been observing, nonstop, since she’d picked us up. I was only surprised she had waited this long to ask.

I made a gentle motion, using our old childhood hand code to keep from waking him.

Fine.

Liar.

Silence.

She tried again.
Talk outside?

No.

Sam shrugged.
When you’re ready.

Yes.

I stopped my thoughts from following the hundred paths it could have taken. Instead, I forced myself to join Jason in sleep. We only had one day before reaching the place where Baker was hiding, but I suspected it would be a long one.

Jason

Until the train with Angelica, I’d never woken in a woman’s arms before, not even Rankin’s. She liked me gone long before the daylight.

It was a powerful moment, one I didn’t have to rush, like when I’d been dreaming and reached out... Angelica’s chest rumbled under me as she shifted, and I took advantage of it to rise up on my arm. When I chose a mate, this was what it might feel like.

She was so relaxed, so… attractive to me. She had so many of the qualities I wanted in a match. I even held hopes that she and these big females could handle Rankin. I was on an adventure, and Angelica was my guide through the wilderness… only I wasn’t sure about my plans anymore. What were the chances I would ever find another female like her?

Slim
, I thought, but the fear of her burning up, and the terror of these wild relatives protecting us, couldn’t be ignored.

“Pruetts are for freedom.”

Her words in my memory rang clear, and I recognized my own instinctive urge to accept her ways, her teachings. Allowing
myself
to do as I pleased was tempting. I couldn’t help but wonder if she’d meant it in every way. I wouldn’t settle for less.

“Who are we?”

“Pruetts.”
I muttered, staring at her beautiful face. In another world, we would have a home with carpeted floors so I’d never have to listen to the boot steps again. There would be a swing in the backyard and another on the porch, and we would sit there and watch our children play. It was so simple… so out of reach.

My dreams were not reasonable and I knew it, but I couldn’t stop them from forming, growing. When I stole a fast glimpse at that forbidden vision now, I saw black-haired children with fighter’s eyes and it frightened me. Just this short time around Angelica’s stronger personality was already marking me. When she dropped me with the rebels, I wasn’t sure how long I would stay there.

Before getting out of the complex, I’d only wanted strength and freedom. Now, the urge to find my mate was staggering. I knew as much as anyone about the effects of the war changing our chromosomes, but I still didn’t understand the mating fever that took over. I’d felt it enough with Rankin to fear it, though… and to want more.

Rankin had never let me finish the act, wanting to own me before she took me. I’d never been bred and I wondered if that might be a part of Angelica’s problem - why she burned so hot. I was also curious as to her reaction to the rebel males. Was there something about me that was special to her or did all men hit her the same way? Would all of the females I got close to attract me?

That was another worry I had. Angelica aroused me in the ways Rankin never had. I didn’t want to lose that incredible feeling, the magic heat that had sent me out of control. It was addictive and I craved more of it. Just the memory had me flushing in the dimness.

If I were really free to do what I wanted, I’d kiss those cherry lips right now.

That thought startled me, but the next one took my breath.

I could anyway…

I was fairly sure she wouldn’t be mad enough to hurt me, not after the liberties I’d already taken, and I leaned closer before I could back out of it. Once it was too late to pull back, I asked myself what the hell I was doing encouraging her, causing more pain.

Then the feel of her lips under mine took over, and I chose to enjoy the moment since I’d already crossed that line.

Need swirled through the chilly air and I shifted for a better position as her lips parted under mine. My tongue slid along her lip… and I felt her tense against me. She was awake.

My hand came up to her waist, sliding under the stiff material to find her tattooed skin…

Angelica arched into my hand as I rubbed it over her breast and I pushed against her hip, no longer cold.

“Damn, that’s nice,” I whispered, staring at my hand moving under her shirt. I stroked a hard nipple…

“
Mmm
...”

Her sound did something to me. My control weakened and I my leg slid over hers as I moved on top of her. It was heat like we’d shared on the train, only thicker, more consuming.

I started to slide her shirt up, wanting to see what I was touching… My body throbbed, sending hot, slick fire through the darkness.

“Jason…”

Remembering where we were, I drew back to see pink eyes filled with misery. “If you change your mind…”

I
nodded,
heart pounding, body tight. “You’ll be the first to know.”

Angelica gave me a hurting smile.
“Once more?”

I flushed, grinning. “Yes, please.”

This time, she met my kiss with a sharp motion that slid us onto our sides and allowed her hand to come up and hold me close. Her tongue slipped along
my
lips and I claimed her mouth roughly, caught up in passion. It was stronger this time, and I wondered how far things might have gone if we’d been alone.

Angelica remembered it at the same time I did. There was a last second of soft, yielding lips reluctantly leaving mine… and then she was backing away, getting up.

Left with no explanation for my sudden feeling of desolation, I watched her move for the darkest shadows, and blend in until I couldn’t see her anymore. After a minute, the increased draft told me she’d gone outside, and I grunted gently in unhappiness. I shouldn’t have pushed her like that.

“Are the others at the complex like you?”

One of the big females sat up, the one who’d kept me safe in the leper colony. Without the goggles and tightly-drawn hood, the dim light let me pick out that sensual Pruett jaw line and those flat, black orbs. This one was Angelica’s sister.

“I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Brave… think for yourself… go after what you want.”

Those examples told me she’d been watching us closely, and I tried to be as honest as I could.

“There are a few I’d be proud to bunk with if they’d let us pick. They don’t.”

She let the silence stretch out, testing my nerve, I realized, and I waited for her next question, sure she had more than a few.

“What deal did you make that keeps her from taking your services?”

I cringed back from the exposure, and saw her gloating expression.

“I thought it was something like that, and yet, you kissed her on your own… interesting.”

I spent a moment trying to get my heart to settle, not sure if I should say anything. These Pruett women sure knew how to ambush.

Sucking up my courage, I leaned back against the wall and attempted to find out some information of my own. I’d already noted this one seemed to have no reaction to my voice. Even the other women spread out in here were still snoring, some annoyingly loud.

“Will she stay and help the rebels?”

My question caught the Runner off guard, and I could see the indecision.

“I’m not sure.”

Now I was the one unprepared. “But, you’re her sister.”

The big female shifted her shoulders. “Before the Games, I would have said no.
Now?”

She shrugged again, sharp gaze going over me like she could tell everything that had passed between me and her sibling.